British racing driver Jamie Chadwick: ‘I’m proud to help steer the green racing revolution’

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH E.ON
Words: Niamh McCollum | Photography: Noor & Zee

‘Motorsports is an incredible breeding ground for developing sustainable technologies that we can use for road cars’, says British racing driver Jamie Chadwick.

Chadwick is three-time champion of the W Series, an all-female racing championship that provides equal opportunities for women, promoting gender equality in motor sports. She’s also an esteemed driver for Extreme-E, an electric racing series which raises awareness of the climate crisis and encourages people to take positive steps to help protect the planet.

Selected as one of Marie Claire and E.ON’s Change Makers – people who are helping take action for climate – Chadwick sits down with us to chat about paving her own pathway as a woman in E-Motorsports and the exciting possibilities that E-Racing holds for the future of sustainable travel – both on and off the track.

‘Sibling rivalry was what got me into motorsports,’ shares Chadwick. ‘After my brother started go-karting when I was 12 years old, I felt competitive and wanted to try too. It eventually progressed from a hobby into a passion I started to prioritise over everything else. At 18, I decided to pursue it as a career and got into E-Racing. As a young driver, it was cool to see new opportunities arise that stand for much more than just racing. Motorsport is a tough sport for anyone to break into, and as the only girl in each of my go-karting groups growing up, I had no clear role models.

‘Although it took me a while to find my feet, I knew what women are capable of in sport – so that helped me push through to where I am now’

‘My proudest moment in my career has been winning the W Series two years in a row’, says Chadwick. She won in 2021 and 2022, as well as in 2019. ‘That title is something I strive for every year, so to actually achieve it has been amazing. I travel for work a lot, to places within Asia and India. Besides being able to experience diverse cultures first-hand, seeing different parts of the world has made me much more aware of the impact of pollution. With Extreme E, I take part in the Legacy Project where we fly into racing locations early to better understand how pollution has affected them. Most recently we were clearing up beaches in Senegal and spotted Tesco carrier bags amongst the waste. That was a real wake up call for me as to how far pollution travels.

Racing isn’t widely known as a sport that’s actively trying to tackle climate change – but it’s a huge spectrum and E-Racing is a rapidly growing area. It’s an exciting space that’s developing more sustainable technology we’ll be able to use in day-to-day travel. In Formula 1, they’re developing synthetic, NetZero fuels that will hopefully be used for road cars in the future. It’s so impressive how far they’ve brought the technology and it’s made me excited for the future of sustainable travel. There are lots of little changes we can make to travel more sustainably. If you’re not commuting too far for work, you can walk or cycle – or taking public transport is ultimately better than driving.

It means a lot to be recognised as one of Marie Claire and E.ON’s Change Makers. Although I still have a long way to go until I achieve all my career goals, I feel proud to be helping change the perception around electric cars. I think a lot of people think they’re not equipped for different driving conditions, but when they see us racing in some of the craziest conditions, they then understand that electric cars are definitely capable of driving on today’s roads. Reading the news can sometimes make you feel like the climate issues are so catastrophic there’s nothing you can do. But I’ve been lucky enough to meet experts that have given me a more positive outlook on the future – so I’m passionate about helping people understand what they can do to make a difference.

‘The day-to-day changes really do make a big difference’

My advice to anyone that’s dreaming of a future in sports is to go for it. Looking back at when I was younger, there were so many occasions when I could’ve just given up and gone down a more traditional route. But when you feel passionately about doing something, that energy is something you can harness to propel you forward. You never want to look back and think ‘I could’ve done that’. I’m so glad I tried racing – if you have your own passion then you’ve got to go for it.’

See more Change Makers at eonenergy.com, where you’ll find more inspirational stories from people who are taking action for climate.